The Battle in Journey to the West
Chapter 143 - 140: Unity of the Three Teachings and Great Divine Power

Chapter 143: Chapter 140: Unity of the Three Teachings and Great Divine Power

The hour of noon had arrived, and Green Duckweed Daoist, along with a group of Daoist friends who had come to offer help, ascended Sword Mountain.

Sword Mountain had its name because it suppressed that arm; after True Man of Great Purity secluded himself in Mount Shu, he discovered that an evil creature was about to emerge. Consequently, he ordered countless swords to be forged, using the fierceness and rectitude of the Sword Dao to suppress the creature. However, Mount Shu’s sword cultivators were now leaderless, the Seven-Star Dragon Abyss had already been taken to the Middle Ancient Battlefield by True Man Song Lun, and the chaotic sword qi of Sword Mountain could no longer be fully channeled into the great array set up by the ancient immortals. Therefore, the seal on this evil creature was about to break.

Mount Shu was shrouded in clouds and mist all year round, with hardly two days free of fog. These few days were also the time when the sword qi of Mount Shu was at its strongest.

A party of more than twenty people flew through the sky, all of them Daluo Golden Immortals and experts of that level. Upon reaching the summit of Sword Mountain, they saw divine swords sparkling with a chilly light under the sunlight, chilling anyone who gazed upon them. Aside from one main path, the mountain was filled with sword artifacts planted everywhere. These artifacts, forged in the years when the Sect was established, showed no rust despite years of exposure to the elements.

Daoist Equal to Heaven exclaimed with wonder, "This Sword Mountain truly lives up to its fame. I can’t imagine how long it took to accumulate so many swords on this mountain."

Those True Persons who had never been to Mount Shu couldn’t help but click their tongues in amazement; Mount Shu’s prosperity was indeed not just empty talk!

Green Duckweed Daoist said, "These sword artifacts are for our future disciples to use, but they are also the foundation of our Sect’s sword array. Should a powerful enemy attack, we can activate the array with the talismans left by Pure Ancestral Master. Once triggered, the swords on the mountain will join in the slaughter—if even a Mixed Yuan Golden Immortal came, they would be turned to ashes."

Although Mount Shu had weakened somewhat over the years, other nefarious Sects still didn’t dare to target it, precisely because of this terrifying sword array. Once activated, a million divine swords would rise to the sky, striking in all directions—no Mixed Yuan Golden Immortal could withstand it! True Man Song Lun was indeed an exceptionally formidable person.

The talismans that Song Lun had left behind were kept by the successive Sect Leaders and were not to be used lightly, only to be activated when a powerful enemy appeared.

"Then why not directly activate the sword array to suppress that evil creature?" Chen Tuan asked.

"Master Fuyao is not aware, but our array might be able to suppress the evil creature, yet it cannot continue indefinitely. Furthermore, beneath this array lies another, set by an ancient immortal; it is the array below that truly suppresses the evil creature. To reinforce that lower array, the fierce qi of all these swords on Sword Mountain is needed. But with the sword cultivators leaderless and the Seven-Star Dragon Abyss gone with our Patriarch, the chaotic sword qi is unable to suppress it," Green Duckweed Daoist explained.

"I see," the Daoists all nodded in understanding.

The group walked along the main path to the summit and saw an altar. This altar was no small thing, surrounded by statues of divine swords, guarding the central figure of a Daoist. This Daoist looked dignified and lifelike, as if he would come to life at any moment, carrying a sword artifact on his back, inspiring a feeling of reverence in all who saw. Presumably, this was the statue of Mount Shu’s Patriarch, Song Lun.

Green Duckweed Daoist bowed towards the Patriarch and said, "Disciple Green Duckweed pays respects to the Patriarch. Today, I ascend the altar to perform a ritual to suppress the evil creature; please bless us, Patriarch! Should the creature emerge, I fear it would wreak havoc upon the world."

After paying respects to the Patriarch, Green Duckweed Daoist stepped onto the altar, and the three thousand disciples of the Mount Shu sword cultivators roared, each riding their swords to the scene. The sound of the sword qi filled the wilderness, and the fierce qi seemed as if it could tear the very void.

The three thousand sword cultivators each took their place, standing firm on the altar, sword in hand, twisting their sword techniques and shouting, "Away!"

With that call, the altar immediately lit up, torrents of sword qi surged upwards, reaching the Nine Heavens.

The activation of the sword array shook the Eight Desolates, somewhat reminiscent of the time when Celestial Venerable of the Spiritual Treasure wielded the Immortal-slaying Sword Formation in battle at the North Sea.

The entire Sword Mountain trembled, and Green Duckweed Daoist shouted, "Fellow Daoists, hurry to the altar and help guide the sword qi!"

The True Men of Dao and Virtue responded, rising together to the altar and taking positions in every direction, forming a huge sword array. Sword Qi crisscrossed, spanning a vast network that enveloped Mount Shu. Looking up, they could only see the sky filled with sword qi and could no longer see the sun.

Everyone was inwardly astounded, thinking, "Perhaps even a top Mixed Yuan Golden Immortal would meet their end here!"

The Daoist Enlightenment and Lu Dongbin stood in front of the Patriarch’s statue, each raising their sword in preparation to guide the sword qi.

The ancient arm, cut off by Hongjun Daozu, sensed the disturbance and with a thunderous boom, stretched out from beneath the earth.

How colossal was this arm? As thick as a Heavenly Pillar, even one finger was almost half as large as a small mountain. The arm was black in color, with terrifying auras swirling around it. However, the fierce sword qi was even more ferocious, blocking the destructive aura outside, preventing it from rushing in.

"This aura is too terrifying, even a Mixed Yuan Golden Immortal wouldn’t benefit from facing it!" Daoist Equal to Heaven glanced over and couldn’t help but exclaim inwardly.

"How similar is this aura to that of the Heavenly Illuminating Holy King?" asked Enlightenment Dao after glancing at Daoist Equal to Heaven.

Daoist Equal to Heaven nodded, as the three Divine Steles within him suddenly vibrated. He brought his palms together, and a vast and mountainous dharma manifestation appeared behind him. He bellowed, "Imitating Heaven and Earth, Invincible Golden Body!"

Over the past hundred years, he had been absorbing the Incense Power and Wishes from Yang Jian, practicing the ’Sutra of the Other Shore’, not knowing how strong he had cultivated his Golden Body to be. This Golden Body, bearing his likeness and clad in a Taoist Robe, embodied Buddhist compassion and yet possessed the air of Confucianism, truly reflecting the principle of the Unity of the Three Teachings.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

With three loud noises, the three Swallowing Dragon Steles appeared, transforming into three Divine Dragons that entwined around his Invincible Golden Body. The Invincible Golden Body immediately stretched out a hand to form a huge dharma seal, crashing down with a thunderous impact. As the dharma seal descended, it felt as heavy as a mountain and as grand as the emperor’s heaven, striking down on that arm with a rumble, causing the arm to stagger instantly, its destructive aura disrupted and thrown into disarray.

The Daoists also exerted their strength, one after another Magical Treasure rose into the air, brightly shining with various colors, bombing down like a covering the sky and earth. The three thousand Sword Cultivators of Mount Shu also suddenly stimulated their Sword Qi, vast like a tsunami crashing down, engulfing that arm!

Explosion after explosion, like countless thunderclaps unleashing, the arm twisted and turned, forming fists to punch out repeatedly, batting down the numerous attacks. However, its root seemed to be connected to the mountain and could not break free, seemingly still bound by the Formation. Even so, it was already incredibly terrifying, considering this was just an arm that had been severed!

That arm pinched a spell, flicked lightly as if setting off fireworks, crackling and popping, and Magical Treasures were directly knocked away. Even those vast and terrifying Sword Qis were instantly scattered.

Ancestor Chen Tuan’s complexion changed, and he exclaimed, "This arm is too powerful, if we let it break free, I’m afraid that no one, except for creators above, would be able to restrain it!"

The arm was too powerful; despite the many people and the advantage of the Formation, they were unable to hold it back, directly scattered by a single spell.

"Thus have I heard! The Buddha Light is infinitely bright, constant from the past, eternally immutable; Inner Sage and Outer King! Cultivate oneself, regulate the family, govern the country, and bring peace to the world with magnificent righteous qi; The Mysterious within the Mysterious! Man follows the law of the Earth, Earth follows Heaven’s law, Heaven follows the Tao, and the Tao follows nature... Dragon Consuming Divine Stele, decreeing the separation of the Three Teachings!" Seeing the arm struggle more and more fiercely, as if the entire Mount Shu was about to collapse, Daoist Equal to Heaven spared no effort and immediately deployed his Great Divine Power.

The three Divine Dragons coiled around his Invincible Golden Body flew up with roars, transforming into three people with dragon heads and human bodies in the void. One was clad in a Kasaya, the second in a Confucian Robe, and the third in a Taoist Robe! He imbued the principle of the Three Teachings into the Swallowing Dragon Stele and triggered it.

"Great Compassion Seal!"

"Spring and Autumn Great Brush!"

"The Gate of Many Marvels!"

As Daoist Equal to Heaven’s Divine Power activated, the three Longtou Daoren pinched their spell techniques. One transformed into a Buddha and struck down with a palm, the Great Compassion Seal saving the multitudes and vanquishing evil demons; the second transformed into a Great Confucian where, brimming with righteousness, a hundred-foot Great Brush appeared in hand, and as it swept down, righteous qi from miles around surged forth; the third transformed into a revered practitioner of virtue and hit out with a gigantic gate—the Taoist’s Gate of Many Marvels.

Green Duckweed Daoist boosted the power of Mount Shu’s Formation onto himself, letting out a long howl. The wind and thunder shook as the three major Divine Skills bombarded down all at once!

The massive arm, sensing such terrifying Divine Power, slightly recoiled and immediately pinched the spell. In the void, Law Divine Chains appeared, winding around the arm, which, instead of retreating, advanced to meet the oncoming attack.

"Boom!"

The Great Compassion Seal descended, shining with golden brilliance, displaying almost creator-level strength, an effect of Mount Shu’s Formation’s enhancement, massively powerful.

The second Divine Power, the Spring and Autumn Great Brush fell, the hundred-foot brush split apart as numerous righteous qi turned into Divine Thunder, each one exploding after another, shaking the heavens and the earth.

The third Divine Power was The Gate of Many Marvels; as the gate opened, a golden gateway revealed countless Primordial Chaos Qi behind it, representing the natural ’one’ qi, the most ancient and primal breath of heaven and earth. This qi also transformed into Divine Thunders that bombarded down!

As to the outcome of this battle, please listen to the next part for the resolution.